Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Wednesday evening announced a 10-month freeze on construction in Jewish settlements in the West Bank, saying the move was in a bid to revive
the peace talks with the Palestinians.
"I hope that this decision will help launch meaningful negotiations to reach a historic peace agreement that would finally end the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians," Netanyahu said at a special press conference
in Jerusalem.
"We have been told by many of our friends that once Israel takes the first meaningful steps toward peace, the Palestinians and Arab states would respond," he said.
Settlement construction has been a key sticking point in U.S. efforts to restart the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. The Palestinians have refused to engage in peace talks until Israel freezes settlement construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
However, Netanyahu said at the press conference that the construction freeze would not be implemented in predominantly Arab East Jerusalem, which is viewed by Israel as a separate issue to be discussed in a final status
agreement with the Palestinians.
"We do not put any restrictions on building in our sovereign capital," said the premier.